Dental tooth-regulating appliance.



FRANK A. eoUGH, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

Specication of Letters Patent.

' 'DENTAL Toorn-REGULATING APPLIANCE.

Patented Jan. 9, 1912,.

Application file d April 29, 1911. Serial No.- 624,118.

To all 'it may concern.:l l

Be it known that I, FRANK A, Goccia, a

citizen ofthe United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the .county of- Kings, in the State of New York, have invented a certain new i and useful Improvement in Dental Tooth-Regulating Appliances and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description ofz the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and `use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in dental tooth regulating or. orthodontia.

appliancesof the 'arch-bar type, m object being to provide a readily .detacha le connection between the parts of said appliances.-

' My invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, described 'in the followmg specification, and pointed out in the:

claims at the conclusion thereof.

-In said drawings Figure I is a plan view of a tooth regulating appliance of the archbar type mounted u on a set of teeth. Fig.

II is a side view o the same. Fig. III 1s an enlarged view in side elevation of one form of my improvement; Fig. IV a sectional view thereof; Fig. V a view at a right angleto Figs. III and IV, andFig. VI .is a detached view of the anchor tube and its lug or catch. Figs. VII, VIII and IX are views of another form of my invention. Fi X, XI and XII are views of still anot er form. Figs. XIII, XIV and XV are views of a form of my invention in which the connection is disposed at a diierent angle to those in the other forms.

The type of regulating appliance'to which my invention is applicable comprises an anchor member consisting of two anchor bands I adapted to be securely attached to anchor teeth, such as the molars 2, and anchor tubes 3 attached to sai'd bands, and an arch-bar 4 adapted to be attached to malposed teeth and having adjustable connection with said bands 1 by way of the tubes 3. At and near itsgopposite ends the archbar 4 is screw-threaded as at 5, 5. By means of adjusting nuts 6, 6 Working u on said threaded portions 5 of the archar and bearing u on the ends of the anchor tubes 3, the archar may be projected and placed under tension for forcing the malpsed tooth or teeth in the proper direction, this movement being accomplished by turning the adjusting nuts 6.

At the present time `dental tooth re lating appliances of the type just above scribed, 1t 1s customary to rigidly and perf manently secure the anchor 'tube 3 to the anchor hband 1 bysOlder. Duringv the longloperation of tooth regulation, extending through a period of many weeks and often- .y

times many months, it at times becomes necessary to separate the arch-bar from the anchor .(molar) teeth. Toaccomplish this 1n appliances as now constructed, it is either necessary to loosen and remove the anchor bands 1 or to untie the ligature fastening between the arch-bar and the inal osed'tooth or teeth and withdrawsaid arc -bar from l the anchor tubes 3. For the purpose of facilitating the removal of the arch-bar With- 7. out dlsturbing the anchor bands, I have pro I x vided a readily detachable connection be tween the anchor tubes 3 and said anchor Since my invention is not limitedto any I particular form of detachable connection between the anchor. tube and anchorband, I have illustrated several different forms of connection which I will now proceed -to l describe.-

The form of connection shown in Figs. III, IV, V and VI consists of a flattened tube or socket 7 upon the outside of the anchor band 1, and a spring lug, spur or catch 8 projecting fromv the anchor tube 3, adapted to enter said socket and provided with a bent portion or hook 9 adapted to catch-.under the end of said socket. By simply inserting'the spur in the socket and forcing it into place, the catch automatically interlocks with said socket, thus sebands while the arch-bar is in said tubes.

In other words, the arch-bar and tubes may be detached together from said anchor bands.

In 'the form of latch illustrated in Figs. VII, VIII and IX the dat lug or spur 10 is rigid and is not provided wlth a hook vor catch, but entirely fills the flat socket 7. A separate spring hook or catch ll projects from" the anchor tube, passing outside of the socket 7, its bent end 12 engaging the end of said socket. A

The i'orm of connection shown in Figs. X, XI and XII is similar to the form last described, except that the spring catch or hook 13 is differently located and extends in a different direction.

In the three forms Iabove described the 'lugs or spurs are disposed perpendicularly to the anchor tube and the socket on the 'anchor band is disposed correspondingly. I also contemplate disposing the lug or spur in; the same plane the anchor tubes, such a construction being indicated in- Figs. XIII, XIV and XV.

fithout elaborating uponthe dierent kinds of regulating operations Which ma 'be accomplished with my improved appliance and the Various conditions under which it may be used, it will be suiiicient to say that the chief advantage vof rmy improx-'ement is the ease with which the archbar and anchortubesmay be separated 'from 'the anchor bands without disturbing the nuts.

I- claim' as my invention: l. A dent-a1 tooth regulating appliance of 'same and without disturbingthe adjusting the arch-bar type comprising an anchor-lv band, means -on said band-for securing it upon a tooth, a tube for the reception of an arch-bar, and a detachable, interlocking connection between said tube and Vanchorband.

2. A dental tooth regulating appliance of the arch-bar typecomprising an anchorband, means on said band for securing it upon a tooth, a socket on said band, a tube for the receptionv of an arch-bar, and a latch on said tube having detachable, interlocking engagement withsaid socket.

In testimony whereof I have fixed my signature in the presence of' two Witnesses.

- FRANK A. GOUGH." Witnesses:

CLARENCE F. LAMONT, BERNARD F. HOGAN. 

